US defense secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday night, April 27: “Hizballah has far more rockets and missile than most governments in the world.” He and Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak were talking to reporters after their talks in the Pentagon. Military sources did not see his as high commendation for Barak’s achievements as defense minister. All he had to contribute on this occasion was: “We do not intend to provoke any kind of major collision in Lebanon or with Syria, but are watching closely these developments.”
Gates went on to accuse Syria and Iran of “providing Hizballah with rockets of ever-increasing capability,” adding, “This is obviously destabilizing for the whole region and we’re watching it very carefully.